RE: Women in Leadership – Cheryl’s story by Ryan

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for sharing Cheryl’s story. It’s inspiring to see all the amazing things she accomplished as a school administrator, especially in a country, like Saudi Arabia, that’s not as tolerant of women in the workforce.

The quality of bravery is one that’s typically associated with men since ancient times when they were required to ride to battles, fight overseas, and face other life-threatening situations. However during times of peace, women are typically left disadvantaged and discriminated on. But rather than allow their voices to be silenced and this gender dominance to continue, women these days choose to overcome their discriminators and establish their rightful presence in society. If we look closely, we can probably find more examples of female bravery than males. For example, women bear children knowing it can disrupt their career and possibly even lose their job, depending on the support their workplace offers for maternity leave. I’ve seen women stand up to men physically even if they obviously have a physical disadvantage. Many women choose to avoid abortion in an unplanned pregnancy and give birth to their child despite the lack of support from a man. Working mothers have to balance their home responsibilities with their career and still find ways to excel in both. It’s in these moments where women choose to face hardships, disadvantages, or difficulties which threaten facets of their personal life that’s the true measure of bravery.

Your friend Cheryl provided another fine example of this bravery by working in a country that’s hostile to women in order to provide a much-needed service to the children there. Because of their biological dispositions, I would argue women are burdened with much more responsibilities than men and should be honored for the everyday hardships they overcome. As men, we need to be more cognisant of these difficulties and do our part to support women, regardless of whether that’s in the workplace, at home, or those within the community.

Women in Leadership – Cheryl’s story